Saturday 22nd Feb 2002 - Training Session

 

A lovely fine day for a change with a southerly wind - just perfect for learning how to echelon properly. The course was a bit cleaner this week and a good end to this year's series. Spacing was a bit better this week and the groups didn;t come together until two laps to go - but the faster groups had to work hard for it.

1st group :  Rob Stones, Mick Adams, Peter Smith (young), Paul Hayward, John Lockwood

2nd group: Nathan Chester, Steve Macklin, Tristan Batch, Richard Bielby, Ryan Maclachlan, Colin Sinclair, Tony Boynton, Chris Burton, Mark Best

3rd group:  Neil Cleminshaw, Paul Purdy, Mike Moss, Damian Evington, Jon Dibble, Richard Moore, Dave Shackleton, Paul Noton

More like a real time race today - I think Mike Moss decided to give it a real try out and the scratch group completed the eight laps in one second over 50 minutes. Maybe we should have had an extra lap or two this week, it was just as if spring had arrived - there were a few tired bodies. Rob Stones kept control of the first group until half way through and group two was breathing down his neck so he only had Mick Adams for company when they were caught. Group two were also subjected to attacks within the group around half way and Nathan Chester, Steve Macklin and Ryan Maclachlin were doing long turns at the front. The scratch group went off fast from the start and Dave Shackleton got caught out on the first lap - must have had a bit of cold from last week's racing. Strong ones here were Mike Moss, Neil Cleminshaw Richard Moore and John Dibble (Jon is just 19 and showing a lot of promise). Mossy was determined to show his strength (he did have a puncture and a lap out) and finished on his own, with Damian and Jon following on his heels, and then Neil, Shack, Richard and Rob Stones - still knows how to hang on.

Your thanks at the finish were appreciated and I must pass them on also to those who helped marshal and timekeep: Don Wilkinson, Dennis Hunter, Brian Whitfield, Barry Trotter, Rob Stones, Graeme Forester, Mike Frow and Sheila and Lee.

Good luck to you all for the season - let's put this part of the world back on the map.

Here's the lap times: